June 2011

Florida
Antique
Tackle
Collectors
Newsletter
Florida Antique
Tackle
Collectors
Quarterly
Newsletter
Volume 25, Number 2
1
A Bird
in the
Hand...
Another
High-Flying
Daytona Show
Who was Paul F. Covington?
Captain Edward L. Evans
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
2
FATC Daytona International Show
Thanks to show host: Larry Lucas
Fireplug & Rainbow Fire Creek Chubs under black light
Bagley patches from the Comjean collection.
Amazing Heddon catalog collection of Dennis McNulty
Sam Bryant’s outstanding World Record Bass display
A fine display of Garland Corkhead lures
One of Phil Dawson’s line dryers
Craig Swearingen’s winning Robinson display
Craig’s Preston Rountree lures from the Rountree estate
President Larry presents Steve Cox with a nice plaque
in appreciation of five years as FATC News Editor.
Dennis McNulty receives the President’s Award
2011 Daytona Ribbon winners
Chuck Heddon presents the Best Topical award to
Elizabeth Yates for her amazing pier-full of pier baits.
Craig Swearingen won Best Florida for his awesome
Robinson display
Phil Dawson accepts the Best Educational award for his
unmatched display of line dryers and winders
Sam Bryant receives the Jack Funderburk Award for his
great World Record Bass display
819 Rivers Court
Orlando, FL 32828
407-222-4890
��������������������
http://ibuylures.com Ken Bay
4 Dogwood Road
Hampton Bays, NY 11946
VERY Chris Bodemann
Chris Britt
18306 Cypress Stand Cir.
2475 SW Forest Hills Court
IMPORTANT
Tampa, FL 33647
Palm City, FL 34990
813-994-0878
To All Members 772-631-8611
813-600-9428 (c)
Robert H Buenting
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Please take a moment to look2304A County Road at your
Richard Bulman
contact
information in the new3000 N, Apt 203
directory.
8 Brickell Key Dr. Apt. # 904
Gillford, IL 61847
IfMiami, FL 33131
you need to make any changes,
Kathleen Celoria
please
email them to Bonnie910 Willow Ave, Apt 1
Saliba at
Tom Clayton
bonniesaliba@bellsouth.net
Also,
if you
2809 Hayes St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Wall, NJ 07719
have an email address and it is Jerry
not listed
Frasco
(732) 233-0613
5447 Painted Pony Ave.
please send it to Bonnie, ASAP.
�����������������������
Amos J. Eslieb
Keystone Heights, FL 32656
Kevin L McJunkin
This will enable us to communicate
with
5380 Hanoverville Rd.
518 S Market St
Bethlehem, PA 18017
you more cost affectively. We Muncy, PA 17756
will never
Richard
McClain
give, sell or otherwise share your
contact
Skip
Murray
1789 N. Carpenter Rd.
132 N. Atherley Rd
information with any other entity.
Titusville, FL 32796
321-698-7075
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Thank you,
Tim Schoen
PO Box 485
Larry Lucas
Murphy, NC 28906
828-516-2132 .rr.com
porterman@cfl
843-457-7246(c)
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Saint Augustine, FL 32092
Clarence W Smith Jr.
6017 N Kansas Ave
Kansas City, MO 64119
Fleming Williams
3769 Bear Lake Road
Valdosta, GA 31601
(229) 253-0416
F.A.T.C. NEWS
The Newsletter of the Florida
Antique Tackle Collectors, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Newsletter of the Florida
Award Winners..............................2 & 27
Antique Tackle Collectors, Inc.
Deluded (Diluted?) Digressions ........... 4, 5
May 2011 Volume 25, No.2
�������������������............................... 6
Contents
Past & Current Notes of Interest .............. 7
Daytona
Award
Winners .................................8, 9
2
Memories
..........................................
President’s Message ......................................... 4
�����������....................................... 12, 13
Editor’s Notes .................................................. 5
...................... 14, 15
St.Captain Curtis Ware
Augustine Show .........................................
6
Captain
Edward Lewis
Evans ........................ 7-11
Gone Fishing
..................................16, 17
Board of Directors Minutes .............................. 14
Art in Your Tackle Room .................18 - 20
Who was Paul Covington .......................... 15-17
Board of Directors Minutes ................... 21
Fanatical Insights ........................................... 18
........................ 22 - 26
A The Seminole Club
Bird in the Hand ...................................
19-20
Gone Fishing ................................................ 20
COVER ART: ����������������������������������������������������
Speed
Dating ZEBCOs .................................. 21
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FATC News from the Past .......................... 22-23
Dr. Frankenstein and Igor look on in amazement, the rod is trans-
WANTED TO BUY OR TRADE
SOUTHERN BAIT COMPANY,
FLORIDA LURE BOXES, LURES OR
LITERATURE
Frank Carter, Tallahassee, FL
850-574-9718 email: fandl@comcast.net
PRESIDENT...
Larry Lucas, Holly Hill, FL
formed into a work of art while being strapped to the gurney in the
VICE
PRESIDENT...
Ed Weston, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
�����������������������
SECRETARY... Sheila Quinn, Palm City, FL
TREASURER...
Sally Jett, Quincy, FL
PRESIDENT... Larry Lucas, Holly Hill, FL
ADVERTISING...
Paul Snider, Pensacola, FL
VICE PRESIDENT... Ed Weston, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
SHOW COORDINATOR... Bonnie Saliba, Holly Hill, FL
SECRETARY... Ed Bauries, Jupiter, FL
DIRECTORS...
TREASURER... Sally Jett, Quincy, FL
Mike Sims, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Paul Snider, Pensacola, FL
DIRECTORS...
Norm
Pinardi, Bradenton, FL
Ed Pritchard, Jupiter, FL
Mike Sims, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Paul Snider, Pensacola, FL
Jim
Duncan, Palm Beach
Dennis
McNulty,
Norm Pinardi, Bradenton, FL
Ed Pritchard, Jupiter, FL
Gardens,
FL
Chesapeake,
VA
Jim Duncan, Palm Beach
Dennis McNulty,
Matt
Young, Tampa, FL
Mike
Hall, Jacksonville, FL
Gardens, FL
Chesapeake, VA
Chuck
Heddon, Longwood, FL
Matt Young, Tampa, FL
Mike Hall, Jacksonville, FL
Chuck Heddon, Longwood, FL
F.A.T.C.
News is published triannually by F.A.T.C., a voluntary,
non-profit corporation. Past issues can be viewed online
atF.A.T.C. News is published triannually by F.A.T.C., a volunour web site: www.fatc.net
�������������������������������������������������������������
F.A.T.C.
NEWS EDITOR
at our web site: www.fatc.net
Gary Simpson
1631 NE 55th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32641
F.A.T.C. NEWS EDITOR... Steven W. Cox
352-378-1112 (H), 352-372-1791 (W)
P.O. Box 288; Panama City, FL 32402
email: simpsongary@msn.com
850-769-5594 (H), 850-769-5585 (W), 850-784-4829 (F)
��������������������������������������������������������
Printed by Beechler’s Printing, Gainesville, FL
The material in the F.A.T.C. News is copyrighted and cannot The
material in the F.A.T.C. News is copyrighted and cannot
bebe reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission
reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission.
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
4
6
FATC News . . . Volume 24 No. 3
President’s Message
President’s Message
by Larry Lucas
It’s a beautiful spring day as I sit on my front porch and write my
thoughts for the summer FATC News. Looking across the Halifax
River, I can see the Plaza Resort and Spa, home of the Daytona
Show. This year’s gathering is a fond memory now. There were so
�����������������������������������������������������������������������������
many wonderful displays, the kind that always set this show apart
on Oneida Lake with my grandfather. Like many young boys, I believed the from others. There were also hundreds of great deals at our two
nights of auctions. And as always, we enjoyed the opportunity to
world was a shallow cove, full of cool, clear water. It was stable, secure, and visit with old friends and make new ones. There are way too many
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people to thank for pulling off a show like Daytona, but I hope I
have thanked you all personally. You know how grateful I am for
At age eight, we moved to Daytona Beach, where I quickly became familiar your hard work.
FAT C P R E S I D E N T L A R R Y L U C A S
���������������������������������������������������������������������������
was moving. During slack tide, all I seemed to catch were stingrays. As As I enter my final year as your president, I feel that I still have a
great deal to accomplish. I have pushed for many changes over
I grew older and entered the chaotic teenage years, those tides seemed the last three years, not because I thrive on change, but because I believe we must change to
���������������������������������������������������������������������������
survive. Our society is moving at a rapid rate and if we as a club don’t evolve, we will surely
be left intwenty, thirty, and forty years have passed, I have begun to see the correlation between the pull of the dust. We need to position our club as a leader in collecting circles. As the old
the moon on the waters and the pull of time upon our lives. saying
goes, “if you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes.” I want our club to lead by
constantly rethinking how and why we do what we do. It’s not good enough to just keep doing
things
because that is the way it has always been done. For example: Why don’t we interact
����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
more
with other clubs...and why don’t we do a better job of recruiting new members when the
been the last six months of my life. I have felt as if my feet were being ripped from beneath me. Strugpublic visits our shows?
gling to regain my balance, I would stumble on rocks and sink into the gooey muck. The vast majority of people that spend their money to join our club don’t renew their membership������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
the following year; and we have to wonder “why”?
along with your composure. You stand tall, catch your breath and count your blessings.
Change for the sake of change is pointless, but evolution will occur whether we want it to or
not.�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Just read Gary’s editor’s message for a good example of this. I can remember my father
taking
me across town to The Tackle Box in Gainesville. For a thirteen year old boy, as for
seen those whom I care for struggle to make ends meet, and have watched countless others try to hold many adults, that store was heaven. I can still remember the smells in the air. It was a combitheir footing as the tide ripped out. I am grateful for a reprieve from the relentless current, but keenly nation of minnows, crickets, cigarette smoke fused together by huge amounts of B.S. This was
aware that soon it will be pushing the opposite way. 1972
and a lot of the tackle that we all admire today was still on the shelves. I was a kid in
a candy store. I went back time and time again until I moved to the east coast in 1984. This
Will the incoming surge bring more loss? Certainly, because that is life. It will also bring the nurturing store
was the quintessential American small business. A loyal following supported the store
andwaters that feed all life near the salt. Everything in our coastal environment relies on the tides. Maybe the the store gave back to the community in numerous ways. Tens of thousands of similar
businesses
across our county have gone the way of The Tackle Box. As the big box stores have
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grown, bottom line prices have become the driving factor. Consumers won’t pay fifty cents
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more to get a little knowledge thrown in with their purchase. Money is tight and we all shop
around for the best deals.
�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
So, �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
how can we expect our club to grow and thrive without giving members, at the very least,
their money’s worth?
We must continue to struggle as the tides around us rise and fall. There are those among us who attempt I have
several goals I would like the club to work toward in the near future. The first is to bring
��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
our membership roster back to pre-recession numbers. I’ll need your help with this as it is not
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something I can do on my own. I would like to start by forming a 3 person membership comthe water is moving. The slack tide, while restful, does nothing to build who we are or what we become. If mittee
that would report directly to the board of directors and officers. The committee would
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develop
and help implement ideas to bring back members that have allowed memberships to
lapse,
and to recruit new members. If you are interested in being on this important committee,
��������������������������������������
please contact me directly. I would also like to ask each of you to contact friends and acquaintances
with similar interests and invite them to join FATC.
������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
aside, and this is his last issue. He has taken quantum leaps with this publication, and deserves a huge My second goal is to instill a code of honor that would carry on long after I am gone as club
thank you. president.
The economy has brought out the worst in some individuals. Your club needs to do
a better job of educating its members regarding our intolerance of fakes, repaints, dishonesty
andI hope to see you in Tallahassee,
all that is detrimental to our hobby. I am very passionate about this and have shaken a
few feathers in the last couple months.
My third goal is to lower the cost of enjoying our hobby. Now, I can’t do anything about the
price of glass eyed Barracuda’s, but I want to work on lowering the costs related to membership and shows. I know that falling membership and lowering prices are like trying to lower
taxes and increase benefits...they don’t normally work out mathematically. Still, I strongly feel
thatBill Stuart and Ralph Hecht will be available at the Tallahassee Show in October we can bring membership up while bringing our expenses down and responsibly lowering the cost to you, our member.
��������������������������������������������������������������������������������
I will
not be able to attain any of these goals alone. I need your help. Feel free to call, write
lures brought to the meet.
or email me with your thoughts and ideas. All my contact information is in the new directory.
Enjoy this great issue of your magazine and I’ll see you at St. Augustine in June.
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
5
Editor’s Notes
by Gary Simpson
In the last issue, I spent a few words introducing the
FATC membership to my place of work for the last
35 years, The Tackle Box. At the mailing of this
issue, the old store is gone. Last month, The Tackle
Box of Gainesville went out of business following
continuous single-family ownership since July of
1953.
When I started my time there as a bright-eyed
youngster, the shop had already been open for
23 years. Older customers still cast Paw Paws
and Dillingers around the cypress that ring nearby
Newnan’s Lake. Some even spoke of their fondness for Pfeffer lures---although every one of them
pronounced the name “Fifer”, with a long “i”. The
dimly-lit, dusty upstairs held boxes of lures that had
been discarded along with other stuff for one reason or another. When I later developed an interest in old fishing tackle, I found Heddon plastics,
tack-eyed pikies, Doofers, Smithwicks, Paw Paws,
a Brown’s Chain Bait, and a slew of others. About
ten years ago, we noticed a large, rolled bundle of
newspaper in the rafters. Inspecting closer, I found
that it was heavy. Upon pulling the bundle down
and opening it, we found that the bundle was
wrapped around a dozen 5-foot Barracuda gaffs.
St. Petersburg Times newspapers, each page dated
1970, had hidden and protected the decades-old
order.
All just memories now.
The fishing memorabilia that we treasure hearkens
back to simpler and sweeter times. The old fishing
holes and hangouts...and even the people able to
recall them in their earlier states...are leaving us
fast. The following is from my tribute to The Tackle
Box, published in The Gainesville Sun on March 18.
The End of an Era
This week’s edition of the fishing report won’t have its
usual hot spots and good catches. For that, I apologize up
front. Today, I’d like to eulogize one of the finest fishing
tackle shops of all time.
It is difficult to explain the attachment we can feel for a
place where our pleasant memories go back for decades.
in 2005. Tackle Box owner, Judy Daemer and I each
have 35-years there. And Sylvia (Cookie) Watson started
in 1966---44 years ago. Several others also put in long
years, but passed on before the store did. I can’t speak for
them, but none of us among the living regrets a minute at
“The Box”.
Since the announcement was made that
that The Tackle Box
would be closing,
that attachment has
been plain to see.
When they walk in,
many still wear looks
of shock, sadness,
and disappointment.
More than one grown
man has cried.
Through the decades, we have heard countless fish tales
and come to know
more than a few
outstanding people.
Many of the real
characters---customers and co-workers--have passed on, but
we all feel blessed to
have known them and
grateful to the old
fishing store that allowed that to happen.
The same sadness
is felt by the
employees---a group that has been uncommonly loyal.
The four of us that remain at the end of things have spent
a combined 119 years in the old shop. Marty Gray started
It is only natural to
ask why the iconic
business had to close...and there are plenty of fingers to
point. In the end, a poor economy, chronically-low water
in local lakes, incredibly long closed seasons for popular
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
6
saltwater species, and the age of easy and
fast equipment availability were the most
lethal bullets in a hail of gunfire that did it
in. All things must pass.
The start of the “Going out of Business Sale” produced a memory I won’t
soon forget...When I opened up the door
Thursday morning, scores of people filed
in. I only had time to move back out of
the way. But then I noticed that more
than half were customers and friends--some we hadn’t seen in years. Suddenly,
I found myself shaking hands with more
than half of the people as they entered.
Along with furious shopping, the old
Tackle Box stories quickly began throughout the store. Folks cheerfully tolerated
an hour-plus wait at our only cash register
manned (womanned?) by none other than
the dean of all tackle shop employees,
Cookie. We were all left with the clear
sense that most of the hundreds on hand
were there not there for deals, but to pay
tribute. And that was very cool, indeed.
Many attempted to get across just what
The Tackle Box had meant to him or her,
and some had a tough time finding the
proper words. In my mind, one longtime
customer accomplished that best when he
softly commented with a sad smile, “I’m
just walking around smelling the place.”
Over the last few days, lots of people
have spoken of “the end of an era”...an
overused phrase for sure, but it does seem
appropriate.
Famous coaches, athletes, judges, politicians, professors, authors, and musicians
joined the poor, peculiar, and off-center
folk of Gainesville. The love of fishing
tied everything together and everybody
always got along, taking in the atmosphere—respite from a world humming
along at ‘can’t rest’ speed. The dapper
multi-millionaire and the misfit trying to
scrape up enough change to buy a can
of worms happily shopped side by side,
chatting about fishing. And where might
that happen now?
Where, indeed?
In this issue of the FATC News, we congratulate the Daytona
Show award winners, learn about two important but heretofore
unappreciated pioneers of Florida fishing, and take in a bit
more knowledge from our two regular contributors, Dick Braun
and Johnny Garland. Then, we say farewell to an FATC
stalwart and marvel at one beautiful bird attained through
patience and perseverance. Hope you all enjoy it.
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
7
Captain Edward Lewis Evans
by Joe Yates
Edward Lewis Evans was born May 1, 1858 in
New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a young man of
twenty five years when he arrived by coastal steamer in Fort Myers, Florida in 1883. Evans landed a
job as a clerk in schooner captain Henry L. Roan’s
store and settled down to stay. He would play a
major role in transforming the small village into a
major sport fishing destination.
In 1883 Fort Myers was little more than a hardscrabble cow town along the Caloosahatchee River.
Only about fifty families made up the population
of fewer than 350 people. Evans helped incorporate the town in 1885 and helped to organize Lee
County two years later. He worked alongside Francis Asbury Hendry, after whom next door Hendry
County was named. Hendry would soon become
his father in law.
Captain F.A. Hendry was a veteran of the Seminole
Indian Wars and also served The Confederacy during the Civil War. He was assigned to the Commissary Department of Florida for three years and
supplied several Southern armies with large herds
of cattle before commanding his own cow cavalry
company in 1864. At one time Hendry owned
more livestock than anyone else in Florida. He
would come to be known as “The Father of Fort Myers”. In 1887 Edward Evans married his daughter
Carrie Belle Hendry. The town of LaBelle, Florida is
the County Seat of Hendry County and was named
after Carrie Belle and her sister Laura June.
Evans was working at Roan’s store one day in
March 1885 when a gentleman walked in to ask
about the local fishing. Thomas Edison had been
visiting in St. Augustine that winter and was making his first trip to Fort Myers. He was intrigued
by the possibility that the local canebreak bamboo
might be the answer he sought for a lasting fiber
for his light bulb filament. The famous inventor had
a great passion for fishing and it was a passion
shared by Edward Evans. The store clerk was so
enthusiastic about the fishing in the Fort Myers area
that he was able to persuade Edison to stay and
establish a residence. Edward Evans and Thomas
Edison formed a very close life long friendship.
Within only a few days Edison acquired a thirteen
acre tract of land along the Caloosahatchee River.
Plans were made and construction began soon after for what came to be known as Seminole Lodge,
Edison’s winter estate and laboratory. Edison
and his second wife Mina spent their honeymoon
in Fort Myers the following year and were able
to spend several days at Seminole Lodge as construction neared completion. They spent their first
winter in the completed home the following year.
An epidemic of yellow fever led to quarantine in
Fort Myers only a couple of weeks after they left.
Thomas and Mina Edison would not return again
until 1901. Instead they stayed at their New Jersey
Glenmont estate as they raised their new family of
three children.
Ed Evans had good reason to be enthusiastic when
he told Edison about the fishing around Fort Myers.
Redfish, snook, and trout were plentiful in the local
waters and huge schools of big tarpon gathered
in the river and the surrounding bays. Around
the time of Edison’s March 1885 visit, New York
sportsman William Halsey Wood was able to catch
one of these silver king giants on rod and reel in
nearby Tarpon Bay. His fish was nearly six feet in
length and weighed 93 pounds. He would catch
four more large tarpon near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River during his visit. Though there is
some controversy whether Wood was the first man
to ever catch a tarpon on rod and reel, there is no
question that his accomplishment brought world
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
8
wide publicity to
Fort Myers fishing.
Evans was quick to
recognize the possibility of making
Fort Myers a tourist destination for
tarpon fishermen.
He spent much of
the rest of his life in
that pursuit. Over
the next few years
he was active in
building the town
and served several terms as councilman, member
of the school board, and also served a term as
Mayor. During President Grover Cleveland’s second administration Evans served as Postmaster of
Fort Myers.
City growth was aided by the return of Edison
in 1901, as he and his new family settled into a
routine of spending winters there. Edison spoke
highly of Fort Myers and newspapers around the
country quickly spread his words. The inventor’s
endorsement soon convinced others to visit or establish residence in Fort Myers. The area became a
playground for the wealthy. It was not long before
Ambrose McGregor, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone,
and others became Edison’s neighbors.
Edward Evans’ great love was fishing and he
earned a reputation as one of the finest tarpon fishermen in the area. Captain Evans once brought a
180 pounder to the boat and insisted on releasing
the fish to fight again another day. He was among
the first to promote catch and release of the silver kings.
By 1900 the population of Fort Myers had grown
to 943 people. Ed Evans formed a partnership
with local business developer Harvey Heitman and
they opened the Heitman-Evans Company. Their
hardware store was located downtown on the
corner of First and Hendry streets. Ed Evans was
the store manager. The ground floor of the old
wooden building had previously been the Parker
General Store. Phoenix Hall was the town’s main
gathering place and occupied the second floor. In
1913 Heitman constructed a modern brick building
Captain Ed Evans is seen standing in the doorway of the new
Heitman-Evans Company hardware and sporting goods store.
Look very closely and you might be able to see a moose head
mounted over the display case inside the store.
across the street and the old wooden store was torn
down. The new Heitman-Evans store still sold hardware, but it was mostly a sporting goods store and
one that dealt primarily in fishing tackle.
The Heitman-Evans Company carried a large inventory of the highest quality fishing tackle available
anywhere. They advertised “...Vom Hofe rods, Van
Vleck hooks, the best grades of lines for tarpon,
bass, red fish, or other fishing....We handle the best
goods in Fishing Tackle.....Our Rods and Reels are
noted the world over and we invite sportsmen to
make this store their headquarters while spending
the season at Fort Myers”.
One of the most famous sportsmen in the world of
big game fishing did just that. Zane Grey visited
the store to buy fishing equipment whenever he was
in South Florida and often ordered tackle for shipment to his California home. After a 1924 visit by
Grey, the Fort Meyers Press reported that “Mr. Grey
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
9
morning of April 24, 1916
“...little did either Mr. Jones
or his wife dream that history
was following close in their
wake”. Only a few hours later
“Mrs. Jones landed a fish that
cast all previous records in
the shade and caused the big
ones to show like minnows in
comparison....the big fish had
been fighting his fate for more
than an hour, but even big fish
cannot hold out forever and the
bigger the fish the more strenuous the exertions must be, and
he was now exhausted, almost
too tired to swim. He was
drawn slowly and carefully to
the side and his final struggle
successfully combatted. A
Ed Evans is seen behind the counter of his well equipped store. His office was a virtual museum
moment later a deft thrust of the
decorated with autographed photographs, fish mounts, and angling tackle. Among the photographs was one sent by his friend Zane Grey of himself with his world record 758 pound tuna
gaff and the largest tarpon ever
caught in 1924 using tackle supplied by Captain E.L. Evans.
recorded as being captured
declared that the equipment handled by the Heitmanin American waters was landed and dispatched”.
Evans Co., of Fort Myers is of greater variety and
The fish measured 7 feet 5 inches and weighed
better than that of any one sporting goods store
210 pounds. Evans recorded the lure used to catch
anywhere not excepting Abercrombie & Fitch in
the record tarpon as being a No. 7 Wilson Spoon.
New York”. Two years later the St. Petersburg
The rod was Greenheart and the reel was a Julius
Times reported “Despite the fact that Zane Grey,
Vom Hofe, No. 6. He also recorded the fishing line
famous novelist and ardent disciple of Ike Walton,
as 21 thread E.L. Evans.
may do most of his fishing along the coast of California, he gets his supplies from Florida – and Fort
Some of the fishing tackle sold in the Heitman-Evans
Myers, Florida, at that.....Captain Evans received
store was designed and made by Evans himself.
from his friend and fellow fisherman an order for a
He made custom tarpon swivels and, according to
complete angling set to be used by the author on a
the Fort Myers Press, “...special make-ups for which
tour of the South Sea Islands...”
Captain Evans is noted”. The same 1924 newspaper article referred to Evans as “...inventor of the
Evans was one of the founders of the Fort Myers
famous Evans Wonder Spoon”.
Tarpon Association and served for many years as
its Secretary. He often wrote stories for national
We do not know what the famous Evans Wonder
magazines about tarpon fishing in the area and
Spoon was, as no lure by that name has been
generally penned them as “E.L. Evans, Secretary
found. It is possible that Evans hand crafted spoons
Fort Myers Tarpon Association”. One such story
that he sold in the store. We do know that Edward
appeared in the July 1916 issue of Forest And
L. Evans designed a trolling spoon and applied for
Stream magazine. It told the tale of Mrs. Ashby
a patent in 1912. Patent number 1,089,915 was
Jones as she hooked and landed a giant Florida
granted on March 10, 1914.
tarpon. Mrs. Jones and her husband were from
Virginia and frequently visited the Heitman-Evans
The object of the design was “...to provide a simstore when they made fishing trips to Fort Myers.
ple, comparatively inexpensive spoon bait in which
As they set out on the Caloosahatchee River on the
the distance the trolling spoon may slide after the
10
fish has been hooked is practically unlimited and
in which the spoon and hook are forced to revolve
or spin in unison, whereby the hook is always held
in proper relative position with the spoon...” He
described a “snood” made of wire to which the
hook was connected and a crossbar which limited
the approach of the spoon to the hook and also
allowed the spoon to slide away from the hook the
entire length of the snood.
In 1922 Evans applied for another patent. Patent
number 1,467,362 was granted on September 11,
1923.
This design was for “...improved mounting of the
hook on the trolling spoon, to render it impossible
for the fish to pry its jaw loose from the hook when
once fast”. In the new design Evans described a
block which held the hook in place preventing it
from swinging until a fish struck the lure, The jerk
given by the fish would release the hook from the
block and allow it to travel the length of a slot in
the spoon, allowing it to swing freely. This would
prevent the fish from using the spoon as a fulcrum to
pry the hook out of its jaw.
The new design for hook mounting was so good
that Evans undertook to produce a lure incorporating the improvement. The Fort Myers Press reported
in December 1925 “marking the consummation of
years of study and work by Capt. E.L. Evans, dean
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
of Fort Myers fishermen, the Evans Pflueger ‘selfstriker’, a new spoon hook guaranteed to hold any
fish that nabs it, is soon to be placed on the market
throughout the world.....After a year of negotiations, Captain Evans, who is the inventor of many
similar devices, recently obtained basic patents on
the new spoon and entered into a contract with the
Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Akron, Ohio
for its manufacture”.
In 1926 Charles T. Pflueger applied for a patent
for a Striker Spoon that incorporated Evans design.
That same year Enterprise Manufacturing Company
introduced the Pflueger-Evans Self Striker Spoon.
C.T. Pflueger was granted patent 1,700,332 on
January 29, 1929 and it was assigned to Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Akron, Ohio.
The patent application described the same method
of securing the hook from swinging freely that Evans had previously detailed. It also described the
self striker action of the spoon. “The striking action
referred to is obtained by mounting the hook in one
position upon the spoon so that it will be released
momentarily and allowed to travel along the spoon
for a short distance, the movement of the hook being abruptly terminated so that the fish is securely
impaled upon the hook”.
The #6 spoon shown here is one that was actually owned by Zane
Grey. It is one of three that came from Zane Grey’s personal steamer trunk #44, which accompanied him on his 1939 trip to Australia.
Both the trunk and its contents were sold at auction in recent years.
Paperwork for the first spoons noted that “Pflueger
Evans Self Striker Spoon is the invention of Mr.
E.L. Evans, a man of years having a world-wide
experience in fresh and salt water angling, hence
he is best qualified to design the Self Striker Spoon
FATC News . . . Volume 24 No. 2
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
which has proven a ‘killer’ for most fresh and salt water
fish”. The metal spoons were inscribed with the Sept.
11, 1923 date of Evans patent.
The spoon was made in two finishes until 1931:
polished Diamolite on nickel and polished gold. It
was made only in polished Diamolite after 1931.
Diamolite was a Pflueger trademark for a chrome finish.
The spoon shown above is finished in polished gold.
The lure was available in four sizes:
Length of Blade
Width of Blade
Hand Forged
Hooks - Trimmed
Size 4
Size 5
2-23/32 3-3/8
29/32 1-1/16
6/0
7/0
Size 6
4-37/64
1-19/64
Size 7
5-7/16
1-9/16
9/0
11/0
The Fisher-Man
Specializing in old reel parts.
Garcia Mitchell-Penn & more!
Michael Arthur
386-624-6920
813A Flightline Blvd. #6 • DeLand, FL 32724
TheFisher-Man@cfl.rr.com
www.thefisher-man.com
Tues-Fri Noon-6:00 • Sat 10:00-2:00
11
The two smaller sizes were designed for fresh
water fish, while sizes 6 and 7 were recommended for Tarpon, Tuna, Swordfish, Kingfish,
and Barracuda. Pflueger continued production
of the Self Striker Spoon into the 1950’s.
Captain Edward Lewis Evans passed away on
April 2, 1934. Visitors to Fort Myers today
might pass through Evans Park, where City
Hall now stands. Evans acquired the property in 1890 and built his home there before
selling the property to the City in 1921. The
park stands as a reminder of one of Fort Myers
early settlers and beloved citizens.
Special thanks to Edward “Ted” W. Evans, Jr.,
great grandson of Edward Lewis Evans, for
supplying photographs and information helpful
in preparation of this story. Anyone interested
in learning more about Caption E.L. Evans
would be well served to study the family
archive at the Fort Myers History Museum.
JETT MADE LURES
y
e
oe
e
fer
ritt,
5
* Antique Glass Eyes and Authentic Hardware
* No Two are Alike
* Handmade Wood Slide Picture Boxes
* Handmade Two-Piece Cardboard Picture Boxes
Lloyd Jett
850-442-9084
lloydjett@aol.com
Craig Comjean with the youth “Minnow” Award
winners: Malanie Mallard, Hannah Long, Arianna
Lucas (not pictured), and Nicholas Comjean
21
FATC News . . . Volume 24 No. 2
that is familiar to many people. This gentleman, Mr. L. G. Balfour, was president
of the Balfour company that made high school and college rings in the South. It is
engraved for the owner and even the reel case has his name on it.”
“I also have a reel that had been purchased by NBC for a presentation to a comic
in appreciation for a year’s programming. This work was a predecessor to NBC’s
hit series ‘Laugh In’. I own the first reel made in Florida by Zwarg, marked with the
serial number B-1, and having a reel cover with only the letter “Z,” made before
Zwarg had received the reel covers stamped with the name of the company and ‘St.
Petersburg’.”
BILL: “When will your collection be complete?”
NORM: “There is really no way to complete a Zwarg collection. Ed Pritchard has
a 12/0 reel made by Otto, and I have personally seen a Zwarg reel which is the
B-Ocean reel once made by Vom Hofe. Who knows what other special orders
Zwarg filled during his years in business?”
Otto Zwarg “1/2 0” resting atop the Zwarg
box marked for the reel
Norm Pinardi and Rudy Kramer
Norm’s Meek and Milam #1
A Kentucky tournament casting reel
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FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
13
President: Larry Lucas, 386-527-4338, porterman@cfl.rr.com
Vice President: Ed Weston, 561-301-9062, enotsew@hotmail.com
Secretary: Sheila Quinn, 772-281-0001, sheilamquinn@comcast.net
Treasurer: Sally Jett, 850-442-9084, lsjett@tds.net
Auction Chair: Jay Zuhlke, 321-749-0615 (Cell), candyz@bellsouth.net
Awards Chair: Chuck Heddon, 407-862-7562, cheddon@mpinet.net
Ed Weston, 561-301-9062, enotsew@hotmail.com
Advertising: Paul Snider, 850-458-2111, paulsnider@cox.net
Show Coordinator: Bonnie Saliba, 386-257-2530, bonniesaliba@bellsouth.net
Directors: Chuck Heddon, 407-862-7562, cheddon@mpinet.net
Matt Young, 813-340-9133, myoung@mangrovequity.com
Mike Sims, 954-565-3740, alfossboss@hotmail.com, Norm Pinardi, 841-792-1671, njpinardi@aol.com
Jim Duncan, 561-575-7956, duncan694@aol.com, Paul Snider, 850-458-2111, paulsnider@cox.net
Dennis McNulty, 757-576-6221, macslure@cox.net, Ed Pritchard, 561-748-7508, reeltackle@aol.com
Mike Hall, 904-424-7071, flalake@aol.com
FATC Newsletter Editor: Gary Simpson 1631 NE 55th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32641
352-378-1112 (H), 352-372-1791 (W), simpsongary@msn.com
F
A
T
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A
D
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A
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S
Classified “Tackle box” ads
Business Card ads (black & white)
1⁄4 page black & white ads
1⁄2 page black & white ads
Full page black & white ads
1⁄2 page color horizontal
Outside back cover – color (horizontal only)
1⁄2 page color (Contents page only – vertical)
Full page color (except covers or center)
Inside front or back cover
Single center page
Centerfold (No vertical center gutter)
$3.50
10.00
50.00
90.00
160.00
200.00
275.00
300.00
375.00
525.00
450.00
850.00
1x
1x
1x
1x
1x
1x
1x
1x
1x
1x
1x
1x
$10.00
29.00
120.00
215.00
380.00
450.00
619.00
679.00
900.00
1,179.00
1,019.00
1,919.00
3x
3x
3x
3x
3x
3x
3x
3x
3x
3x
3x
3x
E
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Florida Antique Tackle Collectors, Inc.
A NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION
DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF OUR ANGLING HERITAGE
Florida Antique Tackle Collectors, Inc. (FATC) is a nonprofit, educational corporation, incorporated in the State
of Florida. The purpose of FATC is educational through the
collection and distribution of historical and technical data
regarding fishing equipment, its development, its inventors
and manufacturers from the earliest times through the present
day, and to assist other groups and individuals having a
similar purpose. In order to enhance the knowledge of these
subjects, the collection and preservation of examples of fishing tackle is to be encouraged for the benefit of present and
future generations.
FATC was founded in 1987. The founders felt that a statewide organization would provide additional opportunities
for residents of Florida and others to learn more about the
history of angling in Florida and elsewhere. FATC sponsors
four exhibitions, open to the public, annually at different
Florida locations. At the exhibitions members display their
collections, interact with the public, and engage in other
activities in keeping with the purpose of FATC. FATC
publishes a newsletter tri-annually, and an annual membership directory. FATC is not affiliated in any way with the
National Fishing Lure Collector’s Club (NFLCC) or the
Old Reel Collectors Association, Inc., (ORCA) but
encourages FATC members to support those organizations.
FATC annual membership dues are: $35 domestic, $40
Canada, $45 Foreign or $700 (Domestic) Life Membership,
$800 (Canada) Life Membership, and $900 (Foreign) Life
Membership (20x annual dues). Please direct membership
inquiries or applications (with your dues) to the FATC
Secretary listed below. For membership applications visit
our web site at: www.fatc.net
One time ads will be given a 3% discount for prepayment.
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
14
Minutes from FATC Board of Directors
PLAZA RESORT AND SPA, DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA • FEBRUARY 26, 2011
Members present: Dennis McNulty, Ed Weston,
Jim Duncan Mike Sims, Mike Hall, Chuck Heddon,
Larry Lucas, Paul Snider, Norm Pinardi, Sally Jett,
Ed Pritchard, Sheila Quinn
New Business: Discussed advertising rates and
size of ads for the newsletter. Paul Snider agreed
to revise prices and bring suggestions to next meeting.
President Larry Lucas called the meeting to order at
7:06 AM.
The following Lure shows are scheduled: St. Augustine Show June 10, 11 and 12, 2011 and Daytona
Show March 3, 4 and 5, 2012. At present time
we have no show scheduled for the fall. Anyone
desiring to put on a fall show should contact Larry
Lucas so it can be arranged.
Secretary’s Report: Minutes of October 23, 2010
Board of Directors meeting were presented. A
motion was made by Ed Weston and seconded by
Chuck Heddon to accept the minutes as presented.
The motion carried.
Treasurers Report: Sally Jett presented the Treasurer’s Report. Motion made by Ed Weston and seconded by Dennis McNulty to accept the Treasurer’s
Report as presented. The motion carried.
Old Business: Auctions were discussed. At auctions other than the Daytona show the sellers have
the First Right of Refusal. We will try it at the St.
Augustine Show.
Awards were discussed. Members can only win
one major award a year for the same or similar
display.
Bonnie Saliba, Show Coordinator, is revising our
membership data base. For future shows, she will
be in charge of accepting payment for registration
and payment for tables. She will make the name
tags for the shows. All forms will be online and
members will be able to make payments though
PayPal.
The newsletter was discussed. All were impressed
with Gary Simpson’s first newsletter.
A motion for adjournment was made by Ed Weston
and seconded by Jim Duncan. Meeting adjourned
at 7:30 AM.
RARE OVERSIZED MEEK & SONS #5 REEL
STOLEN AT FATC DAYTONA SHOW
A very rare oversized Meek & Sons #5 reel was stolen at
the Daytona Beach Show of the Florida Antique Tackle
Collectors Club.
The reel has been restored, and it has a new counterbalanced handle and ivory grip. The handle is made of softer
nickel silver and will bend with any pressure.
I am asking all tackle collectors to spread the word about
the stolen reel to prevent the thief from selling it to an
unsuspecting collector. The reel is valuable and the theft
is a felony under Florida law. I intend to spread the word
to collectors for as long as necessary to catch the thief and
have the reel returned to me.
RETURN THE REEL WITH NO
QUESTIONS ASKED, TO:
If you have seen this reel, please contact Norman Pinardi,
njpinardi@aol.com (941) 792-1671, or cell phone (941)
704-6265, and let him know who has it.
Norman Pinardi
2306 Palma Sola Blvd
Bradenton FL 34209
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
15
Who was Paul F. Covington....?
by Joe Castillo – FATC Lifetime Member
The auction preview tables at the 2010 Daytona
Beach show were packed with fishing tackle items
sure to please any collector.
I was drawn to a big game wooden fishing rod that
was in deplorable condition. The auctioneer presented it as a bamboo tycoon fishing rod. I knew it
was not a Tycoon rod, but I was going to bid on it
anyway.
When the auctioneer’s hammer came down, I
owned the rod.
Careful inspection revealed a big game wooden
fishing rod, definitely not bamboo, for sure not a
Tycoon Tackle rod. However the similarities were
very interesting. There was no name on the rod,
except for a few blurred letters of what at one time
was a label. It read PF... Miami. Now I was really
interested.
I called Tom Rech an expert in the field of big game
fishing tackle and I discussed the rod with him. He
provided me with some pictures of two rods that he
The Fishing Rod
Paul F. Covington patented his fishing rod on
October 30th, 1940. [Patent No. 2,302,191-see
patent print out]
The rod was stripped completely revealing a
unique four laminate wood construction. The wood
is very light in color without much grain, similar to
Lance wood. [ Fig. 3]
The structure of the
rod consists of four
strips; one central spine
flanked by two sides
and one fourth section
horizontally over the
entire length of the rod.
As Mr. Covington said,
“this is used to restrict
to a degree the lateral
bend of the rod”. The
outer surfaces are
had restored with the name P F Covington, Miami,
Florida. At this time we knew nothing further about
this tackle manufacturer other than there were striking similarities with the rods made by the Tycoon
Tackle Company of Miami.
There was an item on the rod that made it even
more intriguing, the rod tip. It was an early number 24 roller tip patented on April 16, 1940 by
Roswell E. Lee of Miami, Florida. [Patent number
2,226,295]
Mr. Roswell Lee was a Miami pioneer that manufactured fishing rod components and big game reels.
His company became a very well known manufacturer of outriggers, and other boat accessories. The
Lee Company is still in business in Miami, Florida.
His roller guide rod tips were also used by the
Tycoon Tackle Company in some of their rods.
Could there have been a working relationship
between Mr. Lee and Mr. Covington and the
Tycoon Tackle Company?
beveled and form a continuous rounded edge. The
rod extends completely into the male ferrule.
The unique component of this rod is a laminate
made of rawhide, which is glued to the entire flat
surface of the rod. Here is what Mr. Covington
says: “It has been found in practice that a rawhide
backing strip such as shown will cause the rod to
assume its natural or
straight position after
a strain which has
been directed to bend
the rod has been
relieved.”
This is interesting
to me because one
would think that the
rawhide would absorb
water, and once it
dries it will contract
adding extra strain to
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
16
the rod not necessarily straightening it. Also once
the raw hide is covered with lacquer, shellac or the
varnish used to finish the rod, the rawhide would
be water tight and hence the intended function
would be eliminated. [ Fig 4. ]
The reel seat is basic; the male ferrule fits into the
seat by friction without any special locking features
seen in other reel seats. There is some discrepancy
as to the locking nuts on the reel seat, as some
have large hexagonal nuts while others do not.
The diamond wrap above the fore grip is very
similar to the one seen on the Tycoon rods. The
guides are wrapped in a more elaborate pattern
than on the Tycoon rods. The handle is also laminated and then turned. It is covered with a felt-like
material much like the Tycoon rods. [ Fig 1. ]
The butt is turned Hickory. The gimbal is stainless
steel with a large bolt. The gimbal is removeable,
and that end tip has threaded holes. By turning it
one can adjust the gimbal tip vertically or horizontally to fit the direction of the pin inside the gimbal
of the fighting chair. [ Fig 6]
The guides are a high bridge type with a reinforced
feature patented by Mr. Covington on April 23,
1941 in Miami, Florida. [Patent number
2,293,280]
The key in identifying Mr. Covington guides is that
the foot of the guide is flat and square. The ends of
the guide braces extend into openings formed in
the seat or ends of the body portion where they are
soldered. [see patent drawing no. 1]
The rod featured in this article was completely disassembled and photographed. All the components
and guides were rechromed. The rod was then
refinished to its original specifications. [ Figs 7 A
thru 7 H ]
17
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
Here are the key features used to
identify a Paul F. Covington rod.
Most of the Paul F. Covington rods that I have
seen are in the 30 to 80 pound class however,
I have seen two fishing rods in the 130 pound
class that may well be Paul F. Covington
because of the structure of these rods, the use
of Lee components, and the telltale use of raw
hide on the flat surface of the rod, as well as
the large bolt on the gimbal.
The raw hide tends to blend with the flat
section of the rod making it very difficult to
see, and sometimes it is dyed in black. [Figs 8
and 9. courtesy of Tom Rech]
I own a Covington rod that has been wrapped
intermittently in its entirety; however the telltale
signs of the maker are still here.
The similarities between the Tycoon rod and
the Paul F. Covington rod are there, although
minimal. The similarities end upon close scrutiny.
The Tycoon rods
are laminated
Bamboo and
other woods
such as Hickory
and Snake
wood. The
guides on the
Tycoon rods are
different and are
wrapped in a
simpler fashion.
1. Solid wood construction, three longitudinal strips and one top strip. Tapered
configuration.
2. The unique use of rawhide on top of
the flat surface of the rod.
3. The use of a Lee roller tip.
4. A large screw on the gimbal that does
not screw into the wood of the butt.
Adjustable gimbal.
5. The bridge guides have a square foot,
perforated by the post of the guide.
One has to wonder if Mr. Roswell Lee,
Paul F. Covington and Frank O’Brien Jr.
collaborated in the development of big
game fishing rods or if there was an
adversarial relationship. After all, these
gentlemen shared a similar interest, location, and time frame in the Miami area.
The Tycoon Tackle company will be
forever known as a pioneer and innovator in the sport of big game fishing.
Mr. Roswell Lee’s company is still active
in Miami involved in the manufacturing
of hardware for the sport fishing boats.
Whatever became of the Paul F. Covington
enterprise is not well known. The Miami
Public Library, as well as the IGFA library
have no more information to add other
than the patents. The cognoscenti of the
world of antique big game tackle do
not have any further information. Dade
County public records in Miami, Florida
does not have any information on the
manufacturer.
For the time being I hope that this article
will help you identify the next Paul F.
Covington rod that you may encounter.
If you have any information on this topic,
please contact me. I will continue my
research and welcome any help.
One year later the rod was displayed
at the 2011 Daytona International show
where it all began.
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
18
Fanatical Insights
by Johnny Garland
A plastic Bang-O-Lure?
The first question that should
come to the mind of the collector is, “why would Jim
Bagley jeopardize his ‘pride
and joy’”? If you recall, I noted on Page 8 of the “Bagley
Collector’s Guide” that during
my interview with Mr. Bagley
I asked which was his favorite lure he ever made.
With absolutely no hesitation, he replied, “BangO-Lure”. Here is the bait that made Jim Bagley’s
name synonymous with balsa wood for a generation of fishers.
I have ever found in association with the Jim Bagley
Bait Company---Betty Jo Kallam. Betty Jo assured me
Jim never made them. As far as she knew, he had
never experimented at all with a plastic Bang-O-Lure.
Since that first encounter with the plastic Bang-OLure copy, I have seen several more. I have seen
black, red, blue, and green striped versions---and
black-back and blue-back ones, all on a transparent
plastic. The plastic has always been dingy-looking. The lures are well-constructed, though, and
someone has done a number-one job in copying
the Bagley ‘eye’. However, it would take no genius
to make a mold from a real Bang-O-Lure and pour
plastic into the mold.
Jim Bagley was a smart businessman and a great
lure manufacturer. Why would he offer a “low
end” Bang-O-Lure? He wouldn’t! And, with that,
I’d like to put the debate over this lure in its grave.
I feel 100% confident in stating that the “Plastic
Bang-O-Lure” is a copy. I do feel that these baits
were made several years ago, due to the aged
appearance of the plastic.
Back in the early 2000’s, FATC member Paul Bradshaw called me over to his table at Daytona Beach,
showed me one of these baits he had found, and
asked if I knew anything about it. Neither of us
had ever seen one. He let me have the lure and my
inquiries began. I first emailed Mr. Bagley through
his wife, Vera and asked if he had ever made the
Bang-O-Lure in plastic or authorized them to be
made. His answer was “no---never!” Realizing
that Mr. Bagley’s memory (much like the second
President/Owner of the company) was not perfect,
I proceeded to check with the most reliable source
Now that some Bagley baits have climbed to
unbelievable prices, I can see the possibility of
counterfeiters coming out from their sleazy holes
to duplicate the valuable lures. But when the first
of these plastic copies came to my attention, BangO-Lures were only bringing five to ten dollars
each...hardly enough to justify cheating.
In closing, let me say one “good” thing about this
bait, and why a collector might want one. It is a
good conversation piece.
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
19
A Bird in the Hand...
by Gary Simpson
Ask the FATC membership which Florida lure commands
the greatest properties in terms of rarity, eye-appeal and
general ‘neatness’, and many would certainly say that
it’s the Kinney Bass Bird. Among the too-few known
examples of this wonderful lure, there are two types--the slick Heddon-painted models and the earlier, folkier
examples that were hand-painted by Mr. Herbert Kinney
himself. The following story is one of passion, patience,
and perseverance exhibited by club member, Larry
DeGennaro of Keystone Heights, FL...a man who saw
the object of his desire long ago and respectfully waited
for his chance to obtain it.
It was a summer afternoon in 1988,
and DeGennaro was passing
through Green Cove Springs.
He had been collecting
fishing lures for a few years
already, and decided to stop by an old
fish camp on Trout Creek (just off the St. John’s
River) to see if they might know where he
could add to his growing collection. Once
inside, he spotted an amazing sight. In one
of the offices hung a mounted bass---and in
its mouth hung a lure that looked like a bird. Larry
knew what it was immediately. “I asked the gentleman
if I could see the lure,” he recounted, “and he pulled it
down and handed it to me.”
An early, hand-painted version and in beautiful condition, Larry was amazed and immediately in love with
the bait. “I explained all I knew
about the lure...how it had been
made in Tampa---my hometown---by
a Mr. Herbert Kinney, and I asked
if he would consider selling it. Since
it had been his fathers’, though, he
didn’t want to part with it.” Before
he left, Larry gave the owner of
Pacetti’s Fish Camp his business card
and made an offer. It was a big offer---almost unheard
of in those earlier days of Florida lure collecting. “He
looked at me like I had lost my mind—like I was from
another planet,” Larry laughed. When he drove away
that morning 23 years ago, Larry DeGennaro didn’t
return or hear from the Pacettis again. Until last year.
Along with his wife, Leslie, Larry decided to return to
Pacetti’s in the spring of 2010. The latest in a line of
Pacettis, Joe, was there...and he remembered Larry.
“You’re the crazy guy who offered so much money for
my grandfather’s lure,” he grinned. Again, Larry explained everything he knew about the old bird, and renewed his offer. One week later, Joe Pacetti called him
back and said he would let Larry buy the
bird for the amount of the original
offer. “I couldn’t sleep that
night,” Larry recalled, “just
like a kid on Christmas Eve.”
Joe Pacetti’s recollections
reveal that the prolonged
transaction happened only after generations of Pacettis
had owned the lure. The gentleman that pulled the bird
from the basses’ mouth for Larry was his father, Pinkham
Pacetti. The lure had belonged to Pinkham’s father,
William J. Pacetti....and, it could possibly have been
owned by J.J. Pacetti. J.J. started the old fish camp back
in 1929, renting 40 cypress boats to anglers and sight
seers on the mighty St. John’s. “It might have even been
used by my grandfather,” Joe said. “He used to speak
of night fishing for bass with long, stout cane poles and
wooden plugs”.
(Fortunately, the bird doesn’t appear to have been
involved in many battles).
Sometime in the mid-to-late 1980’s, Joe Pacetti said, his
dad was rifling around in his desk drawer and pulled
Larry DeGennaro and Joe Pacetti
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
20
out the old bird. “He asked me if I wanted it”, Joe recalled, “and I said, yeah.” Presumably, that’s when the
lure was placed in the mounted fish’s mouth and later
spotted by DeGennaro. That he had recently given the
bird to his son might have kept Pinkham from entertaining Larry’s offer.
Then when Larry returned last year, Joe was on hand
to consider DeGennaro’s plea and obvious passion for
the outstanding piece of Florida memorabilia. “It wasn’t
about the money for Mr. Pacetti,” Larry asserted, “he
was happy to see someone who felt so strongly about
the bird, get it.”
Something about this extended transaction seems fully
fitting---an example to us all in terms of how we should
respect the owner of a great collectible, no matter how
much we might want it.
An important piece of Florida luremaking history sat
in a very old Florida fish camp for a very long time. It
somehow seems right that its transition to a Florida lure
collector likewise took a very long time.
Sometimes the early bird gets the worm. But sometimes
the patient collector gets the bird.
Don Morrow
We are aware of only one member who has
passed away since the last FATC News, but in
losing him, we have lost one of the sage elders of
our club.
country. Don always made an effort to attend
the FATC shows as well. Don was also skilled
at refinishing furniture, and his family still has
many antique pieces that he revitalized.
Don Morrow was born in Tipp City Ohio on February 24th, 1930. He graduated
for Bethel High, earning a letter in
basketball. Don served in the Army
during the Korean War as a radio
operator. Upon returning from Korea, Don opened his own masonry
business. Thirty eight years ago,
he relocated to Florida and started
up a masonry business on the west
coast. After selling his business, he
taught at the community college for
several years before retiring.
Don served on the FATC board of directors
almost from the start of the club and
was our club’s auctioneer, as well.
Anyone who attended an auction that
Don and Betty officiated can attest to
the fact that it was well run and every
dime was squeezed out for the consigner.
Don’s first collection was Native
American artifacts, and this later
evolved into collecting Florida
lures. When the FATC was formed in 1988, Don
joined and was the only member that also belonged to the NFLCC, serving as their auctioneer
for a few years.
After Don married Betty, they began collecting
vintage toys and traveled to toy shows around the
Don died on January 29th, 2011 and
was buried in New Carlisle, Ohio
eight days later. He is survived by his
wife Betty, three sons (Timothy, Terry
and Todd), five step children (Frank,
Dawn, Barbra, and Ronald). He had
six grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, six step grandchildren, and a sister,
Irene.
Betty adds, “Don really cherished the many
wonderful people he met in the FATC, and
was happy and proud to call them friends.”
We are proud, too, to have known Don.
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
21
ZEBCO Reel Production or...SPEED DATING...ZEBCOS
by Dick Braun
I am doing something a little
the lineup. Kind of like the Camaro in Chevy’s
different that I think will help
lineup.
a lot of you that are collecting Zebco Reels or thinking
Please let me know what you would like next, ie:
about collecting them. The
Zebco Fly Reels...Super Rare? Give me an idea
listing that accompanies this
of the info you’d like to read about and I’ll do my
short note will give the order
best! Thanks again and I hope I’ve been a help.
in which the reels were produced, starting with the StanP.S. I think Superman used a Zebco 33...they were
dard Reel, (better known as
as bullet proof as he was! LOL.
the Zero Hour Bomb
Co. reel) and progressing through the
This should help you with order and years when produced and for
rest of the lineup until 1998.
how long. The reels listed are standard Zebco production reels
The name of the reel is in the first column.
The first year of production is next, followed by the last year of production.
The number of years produced is in the
last column.
The 16th reel down the first column is
the 333...this is not a misprint. The 333
was going to be the new reel on the
block, but then Zebco found out that
they couldn’t use the number 333---something about copyright stuff. Only two of
the reels were produced, and years ago
I missed buying one on Ebay. It sold
after a week for $348.33, and I feel
the reel is worth 10 times that amount
today. It became the Zebco 909 the
following year. Everything on the two
reels is exactly the same except the reels
model number, 333 versus 909.
I hope the list helps everyone who is on
the hunt.
Here is a little help with the abbreviations: Z1=Zebco One, 1CL=One Classic, TS=Trigger Spin, GW=Great White,
and so on, you get the idea!
Going down through the list you will
also see the number repeated: The
Zebco 44, fifth one down in the first
column, and again in the second column
as a 44N and two more times in the
third column as the 44 and 44E. The
reel was re-made as a newer model of
the previous one and re-introduced into
only! There are no Branded or Special issue reels listed, ie. 9BZ,
02DL, Christmas Red/white 202, Bot Scout Reels, Etc.
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
22
FATC News From The Past
The following information contributed by D.J. Brace
Member Florida Antique Tackle Collectors, Inc.
National Fishing Lure Collectors Club
June 1994 Volume VII, Numer 3
CHAIN BAITS
“THE BEST D - - - LURE IN NATION”
In the late 1950’s those were the words printed
on E.F. Browns store display cards advertising his
CHAIN BAIT. The cards displayed six individual
worm-like baits retailing at $1.15 each. An instruction card, stamped “Pat. Pending”, came with every
bait. Additionally, Brown provided a replacement
warranty should the chain ever break.
Brown, of Lake City, Florida, had been an avid
bass fisherman for years, from the 1930’s as a teenager using wood baits, to the 1950’s using artificial
worms. However, this Insurance and Real Estate
businessman became dissatisfied with the durability
of artificial worms available to him.
One evening, while moving his wife’s necklace
across the coffee table, he noted the flexibility and
strength of the necklace. An idea came to him. If he
could incorporate that same strength and flexibility
into an artificial worm, he’d have a bait superior to
what he had been using.
Realizing he’d be wise not to tamper with his wife’s
necklace, he obtained a similar item and soldered
two hooks to the chain. A plastic-like composition
was poured over the chain and baked in the oven,
subsequent catches of fish using his new creation,
convinced him there was a potential market for his
CHAIN BAIT. Some of these first baits also had a
tail treble hook which proved to be effective on
Brim.
In the beginning, Brown encountered problems with
the consistency of the oven-baked composition. A
friend, who was a retired engineer, lent his expertise and showed Brown how he could make the
baits using latex rubber. His friend also became the
supplier of the all important soldered brass chain.
With his new help, the manufacturing process was
refined and stabilized.
Another friend, in the auto-repair business, constructed two cast-aluminum molds for Brown. Each
FATC News . . . Volume 25 No.2
mold, capable of making 48 six-inch baits, was
nearly two feet square and one/half inch thick.
Browns recipe called for baking these molds, filled
with latex, in a home-style oven at 300 degrees
for approximately 20 minutes. He soon moved the
operation from his home to a rented warehouse at
the nearby naval air station. A single employee was
hired to help with the production process. His duties
were to silver-solder two double-barb hooks to each
chain, pour the molds, bake the product and attach the Colorado-type spinner blade. Bodies were
made in a variety of colors, both light and dark
green, black, yellow and clear, but always with
a black head. A weedless version was attempted
but the mold design interfered with the weedless
mechanism.
While Brown experienced local sales success with
his CHAIN BAIT, he lacked product distribution by
manufacturers reps or jobbers. Becoming his own
sales force, he traveled west to Louisiana and north
to Pennsylvania. 2 Tackle shops in the Carolinas
also brought his product.
CHAIN BAITS, sold wholesale to shops at 40 cents
each, had a retail price of $1.15. However, considering the materials and labor which went into
production of each bait; the wholesale price was
far too cheap. A mid-west firm evaluated Browns
product and suggested a six-month advertising
campaign in national magazines. This cost of such
a program was prohibitive for Brown.
23
After a nearly-two year attempt at producing and
personally marketing his CHAIN BAIT, Brown was
relegated to selling the remainder of his inventory
locally. Occasionally, Brown would publish ads in
the local newspaper advertising his product.
The durability Brown sought in an artificial worm
was proven when he personally documented
catching 67 Bass on a single CHAIN BAIT! Brown
regularly caught 12 lb., 14 lb. and 16 lb. bass. A
near-record was achieved one day at Lake Isabell,
in Lake City, when he landed a bass that weighted
in at over 20 pounds.
Brown explained a lawyer friend helped document
his near record catch. When the attorney contacted
a national magazine for details about the current
work record Largemouth Bass, he was told the
established record fish was a pound heavier than
Browns catch. Imagine for a few moments that
the magazine representative was in error. What if
Browns fish was a pound heavier? Then, the record
that has stood since June 2, 1932, would now
belong to a Florida resident and lure manufacturer;
catching the record fish in Florida on a lure, both of
his own design and make!
THE BEST D - - - LURE IN THE NATION, WAS
D - - - NEAR A RECORD HOLDER!
1. Five cases sold in New Orleans, Louisiana
2. Four cases sold in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Note: A case consisted of a special designed cardboard box made to hold 15 cards (90 Baits).
PRSRT STD
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GAINESVILLE FL
The FATC News
1631 NE 55th Blvd.
Gainesville, FL 32641
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
FATC Summer Show
June 10-12, 2011 - St. Augustine Beach
Holiday Isle Oceanfront Hotel
800-626-7263
3rd Annual CATC Myrtle Beach Antique
Fishing Tackle Show
November 18-20, 2011 - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Location is the Springmaid Resort & Conference Center
3200 S. Ocean Blvd • Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
www.springmaidbeach.com • (866) 764-8501
Room rates are $49.00 + tax
2011 NFLCC National Show & Meeting
July 21-23 , 2011 - Louisville, Kentucky
Executive West Crowne Plaza Hotel
(888) 233-9527
2011 FATC Patch